Asia Cup 2023 | High-voltage India-Pakistan clash all set to produce sparks

India vs Pakistan in Asia Cup: Fans eagerly await full game at Pallekele Stadium. Fans hope for full game as India and Pakistan face off in Asia Cup; Shreyas Iyer and Bumrah to prove fitness and form.

Fitness test for one side, carrying the form for another. And the last leg for the World Cup preparations for both the teams.

All these objectives will be paused for eight hours at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on the outskirts of hilly Kandy on Saturday afternoon.

After all, it’s India vs Pakistan time. That too in the Asia Cup. And the same stands and grass banks that wore a deserted look on Thursday for Sri Lanka’s game against Bangladesh — the other fierce inter-continental rivalry — will be choc-a-bloc.

The tournament may have already witnessed two games, but the Asia Cup will actually come alive when Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam walk out for the toss.

With the political situation resulting in bilateral cricket taking a break, the fans are hoping to witness five — at least three — clashes between both the outfits over the next ten weeks. It may be noted that the hostile neighbours have not faced each other in an ODI since the 2019 World Cup.

No wonder then that Colombo-bound flights from all corners of India over the last couple of days have been overbooked, with a few Indian fans roaming the streets of Kandy in quest of buying a ticket at the last minute, an unaffordable task for the World Cup game in Ahmedabad next month.

Most of the fans — not just at the venue but also worldwide — will be hoping that the weather forecast of frequent interruptions for Saturday doesn’t come true. Both the teams will be hoping for a full game. After all, there is more in it for them than just the prestige involved in the outcome of the game.